In a daycare centre or a preschool, the safety and well-being of the kids in your care must be your top priority. Research shows that thousands of door-related injuries require a yearly trip to the emergency room, with children under five being the most vulnerable.
When a child gets their hands or fingers stuck indoors and hinges, it may result in fractured, crushed, or even amputated fingers. The hinge gap of the door is infamous for causing the worst possible injuries, especially in the case of children aged 1 to 2 years. Children over the age of 4 are more susceptible to hurting themselves from the handle side of the door.
If you want to prevent children and adults from getting hurt from the hinge side of the door, you must consider installing a door hinge protector. Door hinge protectors can help prevent small fingers from accessing the gap between a door and its frame. Most door finger guards are built to fit into all settings without affecting the aesthetics. You can easily find door finger guards online or at a local hardware shop.
These finger guards don’t require hiring a professional for installation, so you can easily install them. You can even ask to install door hinge protectors at your child’s daycare centre, kindergarten, or school and classrooms.
However, most schools and daycare centres ideally replace all high-traffic doors with free-flow PVC curtains to prevent door-related injuries.
Here are a few more ways you can avoid little hands and fingers from getting stuck in between the door and its frame:
Ensure your child’s hands are out of the way before you open and close a door (including car doors).
Check that your children’s hands or fingers are not in the way before you close the windows in a car.
Educate your children not to slam doors or play around them
Teach your children to keep their hands and fingers away from the hinge side of all doors.
It would be best to drape a towel over all unprotected doors to keep them ajar.
Install hook-and-eye latches on all doors, or place wedges under high-traffic doors to prevent them from slamming shut on their own.
Use door stoppers to hold doors open. Weighted door closing systems and doorstops can stop doors from closing suddenly.
When you look carefully, you will notice many potential hazards in your home for a child. However, installing door finger guards can easily keep your child safe from door-related injuries. As parents and caretakers, it is our job always to keep children under supervision, and with the help of door safety devices, you can rest easy, knowing your kids are safe even when you are not looking.
As your children grow and learn how to walk and open things, you must be ready for new hazards. You may even have to change your home’s environment to ensure your children have a safe and creative place to enjoy and explore.